1 Corinthians 12:31b (NAS)

And I show you a still more excellent way. 1Corinthians 12:31b (NAS)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Parenting 101

I have a new favorite author. Her name is Elizabeth George. I heard her speak at the Living with Passion and Purpose Conference at our church last weekend. She is a grandmother, like myself, who has written over 60 books on various topics; marriage, spiritual growth, time management, and parenting just to name a few. She is a precious saint who shared from her heart her own experiences and what God had taught her through them.

From her book table, I purchased a book for myself, Raising a Daughter After God's Own Heart, and one for Hannah, A Young Woman's Guide to Making Right Choices. In her books she cuts right to the chase when it comes to living a life of passion and purpose. I have been challenged this week after reading Chapter One of Raising a Daughter After God's Own Heart, to be the "Bell Sheep" for my daughter, Hannah. Which means that I am to lead by my example. This is just the first of many roles of moms that she discusses in her book. She presents the information in such a way that I felt excited and motivated to put it into practice. Even though I have been a mom for over 40 years, I still have a lot to learn about raising a daughter after God's own heart.

I have committed Deuteronomy 6:4-7 to memory because these verses are foundational for parents; to love God with all your heart, soul, and might, to have his word in your heart, and to teach his word diligently to your children. You might ask, how are we to teach our children? Verses six and seven tell us how we are to teach them; it is by talking to them. We talk to our children all day long, in our houses or when we are in the car. And if we have his word in our hearts, it will be easy to interject it into your daily conversations. Simple, practical advise to make teaching our children a part of our daily lives. These verses from Deuteronomy have made my approach to parenting more purposeful and hopefully, more effective.

Those of you who know me, know that I have always been quiet, never been much of a talker. Therefore, I have the added challenge of breaking an old habit. Which means that many days, I will have to force myself to "talk"; to ask questions, to be creative and interesting. But, no matter how hard it may be, it will be worth the effort, because, more than anything, I want to be the "Bell Sheep" for Hannah. I want to be there to help her when she needs it, to teach her how to cope with all that life will bring. I want her to be a woman after God's own heart.

Welcome to "a more excellent way...."

Love, of course, is the more excellent way that I am referring to. In the verses that follow these words, we have what is known as the "Love" chapter, 1Corinthians 13. There we find the supremacy of love and a description of what real love looks like. It's a place we need to go back to periodically, if only to remind us of what it is we are reaching for.

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About Me

Whenever I write, it's usually to an audience of one; just me and my Lord talking about the things that matter most to me, my family and our struggles and concerns and joys and celebrations. As one would expect, what I write is very personal, but lately, I have decided to open the door to my devotional time and invite my friends and family to join me. God has taught me many things through the years and I would like to share those with the people I love most. My audience now will be you. Thank you for taking the time to visit and to listen as I share my heart. I welcome your comments.
My prayer is that you may know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19